Old Birds

2002 was our first old bird season and for the main channel team we raced natural, but we did try a team of Widowhood cocks for some of the shorter races. I didn't really like this system as I felt it was wasting some good hens - even though it did bring us some good positions in the club racing this way.

So from then on we raced natural only even for the inland programme. Once we got across the water they more than held their own, but inland even though we did pick up cards etc I felt that they lacked those few extra yards.

In 2005 I decided that I wanted to try a team of Widowers not just for the inland programme but also for the BICC Nationals to see how they compared against my channel pigeons. So I set up a small loft around the side of my stock loft, away from the main team to experiment with and so they would be undisturbed. I felt that this time however  it would be a total widowhood method with the emphasis being on the hens.

They were paired up in mid February being left to rear a single baby. The Cocks were exercised twice a day at 6.30am and 17.00pm for one hour and the hens were out for two hours between 15.00pm and 17.00pm. They were all trained two weeks before the first race and then just exercised around home. The hens I found would fly off for a half hour then come by and go off in another direction for another half hour and to be honest flew like cocks displaying all over the place. Some days they were up for two hours and when I would go and call them in carried on flying for another 30 mins making my cocks late to come out. The hens were raced every week only getting a rest just before Bergerac when I repaired but definately went at least 11 weeks straight and I can tell you they thrived on it. Most of the cocks on the other hand were kept for inland with the odd one going over the water in the BICC so they had plenty of rest.

They were all fed a Widowhood mix from Gems with the hens getting plenty of peanuts supplemented in with the feed as the distance increased. One product that I use regularly through the week to keep them in peak condition is Gemthepax and I would not be without this product. It really does give the birds wonderful condition.

Considering this loft was an experiment it was responsible for most of my club results including 7 x 1st, and plenty of BICC results aswell including 1st Sect, 2nd Open Saran - 12th Open Saran and 9th Open Alencon so they really did earn their corn and at the same time converting me to the benefits of Widowhood. They also performed well when I repaired them for Bergerac with my first one back being 2nd club, 4th Surrey Fed, 7th SMT Combine and 8th Amalgamation 2330b a hen which took two cocks, 2 boxes and had laid a pair of eggs before going. My second arrival from Bergerac was 4th Club, 13th SMT Combine and 16th Amalgamation beating my natural team so well motivated with their first set of eggs all season.

The naturals were paired in the middle of March and  left on open hole as usual and trained 3 or 4 times a week from the coast, being hopper fed Cranleigh No1 a mix of beans,  peas and maize. These birds were only sent over the channel really, as they were mainly for the long races like Pau and so had plenty of rest in between races.

The best of these being 35th and 48th Open London and Southeast Classic Club Pau, and 12th Sect A, 70th Open National Flying Club Tarbes (clocked on the day of liberation).

Youngbirds